Modern Europeans

This display presented work by some of the most talented and distinctive French and British artists of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Drawn from Sheffield’s collections, it celebrated the work of both the well-known and lesser-known artists who were pioneers and protégées of the experimental French art scene centred around Paris.

Impressionist painting was developed in France in the late 19th century by artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Focussing on the landscape and scenes from everyday life, the Impressionists chose to leave their studios, working more spontaneously and capturing the changing colours and light of the outdoors.

Their work influenced British contemporaries such as Walter Sickert and inspired further experimentation by French artists like Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse. Their use of exaggerated colour and simplified shapes characterised the future development of European modern art. 

This small display presented work by Vanessa Bell, Paul Cezanne, Roger Fry, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Walter Sickert, James Tissot and more.

This display is part of a five-year programme of change and redisplay at the Graves Gallery generously supported by the Ampersand Foundation.